1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hair care product for coloring hair in a new and unique way, and more particularly to a hair dye product which is very different from the prior art in that it is completely oleic acid free.
Personal appearance may well be one of the most important and definitive statements an individual can showcase to the world. It is the first thing that others sense about another person; and it is often used to make a variety of assumptions about that person, whether those assumptions are correct or not. Needless to say, a great number of people are concerned with how they appear to others. In this vein, people alternatively attempt to conform their looks to some standard, or attempt to differentiate their appearance away from what is considered the norm.
One of the ways individuals may enhance or alter their appearance is through the style and color of their hair. Many individuals, both male and female, style their hair with shapes and color to achieve a desired look. Not surprisingly, the quantity of hair styling products, salons and hair styling professionals is great.
Market Research
                The overall U.S. hair care market is projected to be worth nearly $7.5 billion at retail in 2005. That record sum will result from steady growth of roughly 3% or 4% during each year of the period 2000 through 2005. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the time frame will be 3.7%.”        With the above statistics in mind, the hair care coloring segment was one of the most dynamic product categories in 2001 “as baby boomers, gen X, gen Y women, as well as more men than ever before, are more frequently experimenting with hair color. Coloring has generated some $1.4 billion worth of business through food, drug and mass, according to IRI.        Industry estimates placed U.S. salon hair coloring revenues at $10 billion out of a total of $46 billion in 1999. Read “New fashion of salon has Subway as mode.” Palm Beach Post. Com (Jun. 6, 2003)        The incidence of hair color has been rising and is now at 50 percent, said Liz Read, senior director of hair color marketing at Clairol. Of those who color, 36 percent color their hair at home.        C&EN reports that with these improvements, hair dyeing has become one of the fastest growing segments of the personal care market. U.S. retail sales of home dyeing kits grew at double-digit rates in the 1990s and hit $1.6 billion in 2001, estimates industry consultant Kline & Co. The global hair dye market is now at some $7.2 billion, according to market research firm Euro monitor.        L'Oreal has about half of the U.S. hair dye market and the Clairol unit of Procter & Gamble controls 40 percent, says Meyer R. Rosen, president of Interaction Consulting. Dye suppliers say interest in hair dyeing is growing so fast that they expect other consumer products companies to enter the market.        Kline Project Manager Carrie Bonner says that a recent study of consumer buying habits showed that 37 percent of those surveyed had used hair dyes in the previous year and that 42 percent of American women and 25 percent of American men use dyes. Hair dyes are most popular among people aged 16-20 (48 percent), with the next largest group of users in the 40-49 range (45 percent). Only 24 percent of those over 60 use hair dyes.        
2. Prior Art
The following symptoms and problems are well known in the prior art:
Brittle Hair: Detergent type base which removes the oils and de-fats the hair and scalp creating dry brittle hair and scalp condition, which may flake giving the appearance of dandruff.
Drying: The incorporation of alcohol, as example, isopropanol or ethanol, additionally tends to dry the hair and scalp, as does the soap base.
Damage: The use of ammonia causes the hair to swell allowing the dyes to enter the hair shaft but also damaging the hair. Many individuals experience sever tingling, itching, or burning of the scalp during the process and at times along period after. The 6% peroxide level needed to open the hair shaft for the dyes to enter causes undue damage to the hair in addition to the itching and burning of the scalp.
Allergic reactions: A heavy concentration of the oxidation hair dyes, Up to 8-10% to make up for the loss of dyes reacting in the base itself rather than within the hair shaft. The possibility of eczema or contact dermatitis showing up on the face and around the hair line, face swelling up and painful bruising that often requires hospital treatments.
Staining: Due to the high concentration of dye needed to overcome the reaction and loss of dye in the base rather than within the hair shaft, staining of the forehead and area around the face require extreme protection. Removing of the stain requires a great deal of effort and at times severe abrasion of the affected area.
Required Dye Time: Present products require the mixture to remain on the hair a minimum of 30 minutes for total penetration.
Warm wearing: All hair dyes continue to oxidation process weeks later and the dyes tend toward the red. In time the limited amount of dye within the hair shaft is overwhelmed.
Conditioning; due to a combination of all the reasons listed a conditioning is required to bring the hair back to a healthy looking state.
It is an object of the within inventive hair dye to overcome the foregoing and other shortcomings of the prior art hair dyes.
To this end the formula of the within inventive hair dye contains the following ingredients.
New Formulation:
Dye shares same as prior art but lower concentration about 1-3 maximum.
Activator: Standard 3% peroxide rather than prior art of 6%.
Of particular note, the within inventive hair dye has a base formula with a water content of no less than 90% as compared to prior art brands of 30%.
Demonstrated benefits of the new formula:                1. Empirical evidence and laboratory testing show that a system containing large amounts of water greatly reduces or entirely eliminates the possibility of brittle hair, drying and staining.        2. Damage to the hair is greatly reduced due to the elimination of ammonia with monoethanolamine.        3. Allergic reaction or contact dermatitis is virtually eliminated since the concentration of dyes has been reduced from 10% to 3%, in addition the majority of the reaction takes place away from the scalp in the hair shaft. Having the base almost color less as compared to competitive brands.        4. The required dye times has been reduced to 10 to 15 minutes as compared to 30 minutes require by prior art. This greatly reduced the possibility of an allergic reaction, staining, and damage. Any staining encounter is easily removed with a damp soapy cloth.        5. Conditioning agents are virtually eliminated, as the difficulties inherent in the present brands are no longer present. The dyed hair has a more natural look and feel.        6. Since this is a water base formula the frequently encountered unpleasant odor, burning, and itching are replaced with a cool non-irritating feeling during the dyeing process.        7. The problem of warm wearing is virtually eliminated since the concentration of dye within the hair shaft is so great any shift toward the red is overwhelmed by the unaffected color.Further Benefits of the Oleic Acid Free Hair Dye Formula:        
Advantages of the present invention compared to the prior art is as follows:                1. 1.25% dye as compared to 25+% in Ms Clairol, Nice and Easy.        2. Ammonia smell is minimal as compared to competition, although our product does not contain any fragrance.        3. Dyes strong in the MEA system and faster vs. the ammonia system.        4. Dye penetration further into the hair shaft giving increased dye penetration and a longer wearing color.        5. Formulation is much simpler than competition, 10 ingredients compared to 20+ plus extracts and fluff.        6. Very appropriate for a potential Men's line with a shorter development line required.        7. Might be able to combined color base with peroxide in one bottle and ½ oz bottle or tube to begin the development.        8. Staining of the skin is very slight as compared to competition.        9. Damage to the hair a minimum, as dyeing is faster thereby having a shorter oxidation time during development.        10. Shorter risk of harm from dyes entering the skin and body as the skin and body as the percentages is reduced.        11. Warn wearing (red shift) is reduced as more dye is in the hair shaft. At the end of 30 days women will still need hair colored, as growth is ½ per month but red tones will not be invisible.        12. Shampoo and conditioner are specially formulated to give maximum cleaning with least amount dye wash out. Conditioner is formulated to maintain luster, wet comb, detangle and import a smooth feel.        13. Formulation can be produced cheaper as quantities are increased.        14. Well suited for dyeing negro, Mexican hair (very thick) to black Shade.        